


supermarket flowers

by hyuckpack (justcallthemmarkhyuck)



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, Getting Together, Getting to Know Each Other, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Strangers to Lovers, Tags May Change, donghyuck works a night shift at the supermarket, lapslock
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:26:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25316026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justcallthemmarkhyuck/pseuds/hyuckpack
Summary: donghyuck works the night shift at a supermarket where he meets mark one night and they manage to make some terrible first impressions on each other."happens to the best of us".
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Comments: 4
Kudos: 77





	supermarket flowers

**Author's Note:**

> I keep stacking up chaptered fics when I have to finish my old ones and I'm not even guilty. but here's a cute new fic for you lovelies. 
> 
> enjoy!

the late night shift at the supermarket is somehow the most peaceful but also the most nerve wracking job that donghyuck has ever taken up.

everything is quiet and eery around this time at night except for the occasional whir of the centuries old air-con machine and maybe a cricket. but to be honest this isn't the fucking forest and there's not a patch of grass in sight because the city is a concrete jungle so crickets are basically non existent around the area.

donghyuck tries to busy himself, he really does, but he's too worried out of his ass to be chilling like all those teenagers who work night shifts in movies. he'd have called his friends over if it wasn't for their _no companions at work_ rule.

a few years ago some dudes had trashed the place, flooded the bathrooms and then deleted the footage from the cameras so yeah, donghyuck had those douchebags to thank for his current loneliness.

a new text from jaemin reads _im gonna be up the whole night, call me if anything happens_ and another from his mom to _be safe sweety_ and while it was comforting to know he had somewhat of a backup, it also pushed the idea that something _could_ go wrong.

donghyuck could feel himself starting to get anxious and opted for snacks and something sugary for an energy boost. of course, red bull is the best option.

on one hand, not having to deal raging customers, clogged toilets or aisle cleanups was something he was grateful for but a boy with his stature (and only pepper spray as a weapon) had every right to be worried. he wasn't much of a fighter, sure he'd thrown some fists in highschool but that was with equally skinny young boys, not anybody with a gun or possibly prior experience in armed robbery.

when he mentioned this to his manager, after much debate, he'd allowed donghyuck to keep a taser and his trusty pocket knife (still not good long distance weapons but good enough). he'd gone as far as to install one of those emergency apps on his phone. call him paranoid but donghyuck was not really looking forward to death when his college life was just an arm's reach away.

he'd even taken the gap year after highschool and multiple working shifts specifically for college and he wasn't gonna sit there and watch everything he worked for go to waste, not if he can help it.

it's donghyuck's first shift ft. taser so he takes a kick from zapping it around while the supermarket is empty. sometimes there would be another counter open, another worker, someone to share his misery with, but today it was just him and his taser so he decided to make the most of his solo time.

he's so caught up in his personal action movie that he doesn't notice a customer standing inside the store with an amused grin on his face.

donghyuck does one particular spin kick and ends up making eye contact with the other boy, a loud gasp escaping him, dropping his hands so quickly that his taser slips out of his grasp and skids across the polished tiles.

"If I was actually trying to rob you, you'd be good as dead", he jokes and donghyuck feels his face heat up in embarrassment as the guy walks up to him with the taser in his hand, placing it on the cashier belt.

donghyuck manages to mumble out a thanks in spite of his situation, keeping his eyes as lowered to the ground as he can to cut-off eye contact. the supermarket lights betray him though, because they show exactly how red his face has gotten.

"don't worry about it though, happens to the best of us", the guy shrugs and then heads to the back rows of the supermarket, where the frozen aisle and beverage refrigerators are.

he comes back with an unhealthy amount of cola cans and two boxes of frozen fish fingers. donghyuck bites back a laugh at the childish selection but then he remembers that this dude teased him not too long ago, so he lets loose and teases back.

"looks like someone is feasting tonight", he casually mentions, with a smile, while scanning the products and roughly shoving them into the plastic bags.

"I would definitely call this a feast too, your taste is impeccable", the boy replies, with a similar smile to donghyuck's.

they make proper eye contact for the second time and laugh simultaneously.

"that'll be twenty five dollars".

donghyuck finishes putting the rest of the cola cans into the bags while mark digs into his back pocket for his wallet. he's dressed in blue checkered pyjama pants and a black hoodie, socks and slides.

 _cozy_ , donghyuck thinks, pulling at his own uncomfortable red polo collar that he's forced to wear as part of protocol.  
he decides to unbutton the top button because it's suffocating him but halts when the customer curses under his breath.

"you good man?"

"dude I forgot my fucking wallet", the guy looks directly at donghyuck and his round doe eyes are comically wide and donghyuck's first thought is _he's probably a scammer_. but on the other hand this dude does look like he just crawled out of bed.

donghyuck watches on for a few more seconds while the boy checks his pockets at least three times over, a childish panick clear on his face, so much so that it looks like he might start bawling his eyes out. kind of like when a kid gets lost in the supermarket and can't locate their parent.

call it being empathetic (otherwise known as being a complete dumbass), because donghyuck pulls out his own wallet and goes "dont worry about it". he fishes out his card and swipes it to pay for the guy's sodas and fish fingers.

"I- dude you didn't have to do that". his eyes are still full blown and donghyuck thinks it's kinda cute how he's all flustered about it.

"nah, it's chill", and then he hands the bag with a small grin, "happens to the best of us". the other boy looks taken aback for a moment, his own words thrown back at him, but then a smile spreads out on his face and he laughs a little.

"thanks man, I really owe you a big one".

donghyuck shrugs like it was nothing, even though a small part at the back of his brain is shouting _you're saving for college stop spending on cute boys._

the boy takes the bag from him and the bill (even though he technically doesn't even need the bill) and walks out of the store, leaving donghyuck back in his boring workspace, sans human interaction.

the door opens again and donghyuck straightens up from his sulking position, only to be met with the same round eyes and an awkward lopsided smile.

"I'm mark, by the way", he seems nervous for some reason, but in an adorable kind of way.

"good to know", donghyuck gives him a thumbs up and watches mark's eyebrows furrow in confusion and his face fall slightly.

"aren't you going to tell me your name?" mark asks, nearly pouting and donghyuck is almost tempted to stop his teasing for a minute. _almost_.

"you'll figure it out, mark".

and since there's nothing left to say after that, mark leaves dejectedly, mostly confused and partly curious, the gears in his head probably turning to try and figure out what donghyuck meant.

donghyuck watches him back out of the parking lot and drive off into the dark and he finds himself thinking that maybe night shifts might not be the worst thing in the world. especially if boys like _mark_ were going to be a regular.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading!
> 
> you can leave a kudos if you liked it and of course comments are always welcome, I'd love to hear what you have to say <333


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